Lions hero and Brown's saviour steps forward

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Should the Brisbane Lions win a fourth straight AFL premiership in 2004, they may have to strike an additional medal for a 47-year-old Lions-mad lawyer.

Tim Wishart, a commercial lawyer with a Brisbane firm, has been identified as the saviour for Lions forward Jonathan Brown who may just be the man to secure the team's fourth consecutive Flag.

Brown was cleared of rough play against St Kilda's Jason Blake on a technicality because the club successfully argued the clash with the St Kilda ruckman happened during the first break and not during "play".

Brisbane relied upon the defence after Lions chief executive Michael Bowers received an unsolicited e-mail from Wishart - a Lions member for three years.

"It was was just the way the charge was framed," Wishart said.

"It referred to unduly rough play and my interpretation of the laws of the game when the siren goes to end the period of play there is no play - therefore there can be no rough play."

Wishart felt moved to send the e-mail to prevent what he considered the potential injustice of a Brown suspension.

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"It was also a case of wanting to see Jonathan Brown play in the finals series and the Lions being better off having him there," he said.

Wishart said he's had a few e-mails of congratulations from Lions fans and lots of calls from the media.

The 47-year-old who supported Essendon when he grew up in Victoria, admits he "feels pretty good" about the tribunal outcome.

"It's like anything in life when you have a success it feels good," Wishart said.

"If they win a fourth premiership I wouldn't be human if I didn't think marginally I had something to do with it."

Brisbane chairman Graeme Downie there was great relief in the club over the tribunal decision.

"It's a relief for the club and a relief for the player ... so I think everyone's relieved," Downie said.

"People are entitled to natural justice and we have a set of rules to play by and I think we are entitled to interpret them strictly and that's what happened here."